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> Choose to receive your barcode via text message or print-at-home. Bring this barcode into any participating store and show it to the cashier to add money to y
by huangc10 10y ago
> Choose to receive your barcode via text message or print-at-home. Bring this barcode into any participating store and show it to the cashier to add money to your Amazon Balance.
As a customer I don't really understand this concept. Why do I bring my barcode to one of the stores (CVS, etc.) to reload my Amazon Balance...?
- scosman 10y agoSo you can add cash to your amazon account instead of using a credit card or bank account. Some people don't have credit cards or banks accounts.
- sokoloff 10y agoThe use case is that you have cash (literally folding money) in your hand and the store is the place to turn that physical cash into electronic credit in your Amazon Balance.
- ryanSrich 10y agoMaybe I'm being obtuse, but why would anyone want to do that? Could you not use a credit card, debit card, or gift card?
- hirsin 10y ago28% of Americans don't have a credit card. 7% don't have a bank account. Those numbers are massively higher in countries that are more cash reliant like India. In 2014 20% of the world was "unbanked", a good search term if you want to do more research.
- beambot 10y agoTo add to this... This is probably a direct jab at Walmart, where a large portion of the unbanked / underbanked shop.
- sbarre 10y agoWhat if you don't have any of those things?
- oddevan 10y agoThese people may not have the credit for credit cards or a bank account with a debit card (again, bad credit or maybe even just distrust of the banking system). As others have pointed out, this is basically buying a gift card and applying it to your account in one step instead of two.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- cbhl 10y agoMaybe one has had a bankruptcy in the last seven years. Or is a 13-year-old. Or doesn't have an SSN.
- Raphmedia 10y agoGrowing up poor meant that we never saw credit cards. That meant that we had to be very creative when it came to pay online. Something like Amazon Cash would have been amazing to have!
- protomyth 10y agoA fair number of folks still pay bills with money orders since they don't have credit cards, checks, or debit cards and can just pay cash for the money order. Gift cards might be closer, but this has less waste.
- beamatronic 10y agoWon't they miss out on all the perks of credit cards (i.e. Discover cash back rebates, airline/hotel miles, etc )
- matt4077 10y agoYes–tragically, the poor never even get their SkyMiles.
- tekromancr 10y agoOr rewards programs effectively making every purchase 1.5% cheeper than they would in cash. The unbanked and underbanked have no access to either. Another example of the "poverty tax" that many people have to pay. Your comment makes you sound kinda like an asshole.
- codazoda 10y agoI get that part but my local grocery store sells Amazon gift cards in $10 to $50 denominations. You can buy these with cash just fine and there is no fee that the store charges and there is no tax. A $25 card costs $25 cash. Dunno if this varies by area.
- darkstar999 10y agoIt's harder to add those to your account - this barcode would do it automatically.